Lawn bowling game with target



Oct. 22,1968 .1. c. POOLE 3,406,973

LAWN BOWLING GAME WITH TARGET Filed Oct. 15, 1965 INVENTOR James 6.Poo/e ATTORNEYS U wd St te Pew LAWN BOWLING GAME WITH TARGET I James'C;Poole, P.0. Box 1291,

, Atascodero, Calif. 93422 1 Filed Oct. 13, 1965 Ser. No. 495,557Claims. (Cl. 273-423) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLQSURE A lawn pool or lawnbowling game which has a large, fiat,'portable and non-collapsibletarget piece with large open scoring sections. It is formed by anouterperipheral rim and ,aplurality of outwardlyradiating dividing ribs.Both the. ribs and the rim have the same cross sectional shape beingrelatively wide in horizontal section and thin in vertical. A pluralityof dilferent colored hand-size balls substantially smaller than-the,scoring sections are rolled toward theztargett by each player. Thescoring sections are each a different color; one rib and theadjacentvportion of the peripheral section are a given color to identifythe different scoring sections. The number of scoring sections are equalto'the number of balls, each ball is colored to match a color-of one ofthe scoring sections. A score is received for a ball rolled into ascoring section, and additional bonus-.score is made when a ball isrolled into its corresponding color scoring section.

This invention relates to a new type .ofbowling game for either two orfour players, and which is known as lawnpool, I 1 1 This inventioncomprises the use of a flat, rigid, flat wheel-shapedtarget memberhaving a plurality of separate sections readily distinguishable one fromanother, and into which a player rolls a ballfrom a distance. The ballscorrespond to different sections of the target and bonus points arereceived for rolling a particular ball into its corresponding section ofthe target.

a This invention has for a general object the providing of a new gamewhich can be played on any typeof substantially fiat surface.

Another object of this invention is to provide a movable target which issimple of construction which can merely be laid on the ground at achosen spot and can be readily moved from one location to another.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a bowling gamewhich can be played on lawns or on other surfaces whichare notcompletely smooth, and the surface and adjacent area to the target doesnot require any special preparation or surface.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensivetarget which is rigid and can be placed on any flatsurface, and intowhich a ball may be rolled.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a bowling gamewherein several players can participate and each players ball has. aseparate section on the target which will provide bonus points when theball is rolled therein.

A still further object of this invention is to provide for asimple lawnbowling game wherein small hand size balls are used by the players, andthe targets have open sections into which these balls are rolled.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a lawn bowlinggame wherein the target member has a plurality of ball receiving opensections defined by a peripheral member and connecting ribs, and intowhich the balls are rolled, the area of such sections being the surfaceon which the target is laid.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a target for abowling game wherein special bonus point sections are provided.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a lawn bowlinggame which is simple and readily understood, while providing differentbonus target sections for each player.

A still further object of this inventionis to provide a simple andinexpensive game for outdoor use primarily, which is inexpensive tomanufacture.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a simple bowlinggame having a target with a wheel-shaped configuration divided intoquarter sections and which are identified as different scoring units,one from the other, by use of different colors for the periphery of eachsection.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, referencebeing bad to'the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a general view of the game as played;

FIGURE 2 shows the target member in plan view; and

FIGURE 3 shows the four balls as used in the game.

Referring particularly to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows a game as itwould be played on a lawn with the targets generally designated as 10and 12 laid on the lawn the desired distance apart.

The game can be played by either two or four players, and FIGURE 1 showsthe game as being played by two players 14 and 16. The player 14 isshown watching player 16 who has just completed rolling the ball 18along the lawn in the direction of target piece 12. Each player-isentitled to two balls, which are rolled in the direction of the targetpiece in an effort to roll each ball into the target piece, and ifpossible into a special bonus section of the target which will beexplained below.

The targets 10 and 12 are identical, but the detailed description of thetarget as shown in FIGURE 2 will be had with reference to target 12.

In FIGURE 2, a top view of the target 12 is shown as it would appearwhen laid in position on a lawn during play of the game.

The target 12 is wheel-shaped and has an annular rim 22 with a pluralityof ribs 24, 26, 28 and 30 integrally connected to a central hub 32. Theribs 24, 26, 28 and 30'respectively engage the rim 22 at 34, 36, 38 and40, so that the target piece is formed into a rigid structural unit.

As can be seen in FIGURES 1 and 2 the target piece is an open-latticedstructure having four quadrants or radial arcuate open scoring sections42, 44, 46 and 48, into which the player attempts to roll one of the twoballs chosen by him.

It will be noted that each of the four sections are color coded with theannular rim 22 having sections 50, 52, 56 and 58 which are resp=ctivelycolored white, yellow, blue and red. The rib 24 is colored white tomatch the rim section and to define by color the white quadrant scoringsection 48 within which the white ball 60 is shown. The player rollingthe white ball into this quadrant will receive extra bonus points aswill be explained below.

In the same fashion, the rib 26 and the rim section 52 are both coloredyellow to define the yellow scoring quadrant 42.

The scoring quadrant 44 has yellow ball 62 resting therein. The quadrantis made up of the rib 28 and the arcuate rim section 56 both of whichare colored blue. In this instance, the player rolling the yellow ballinto the blue quadrant would receive points for getting the ball intothe quadrant but he would not receive additional bonus points, as wouldthe player who rolled the white ball, because the yellow ball 62 was notrolled into the yellow scoring quadrant 42.

The fourth scoring quadrant 46 is colored red and is bounded by the redcolored rib 30 and the red arcuate section 58.

With respect to the target piece, it is possible to move the targetseither closer together or further away depending upon the capabilitiesof the players in the game.

The target can be made of any type of material, but preferably it ismade of a one-piece molded plastic construction with the respective riband arcuate rib portions being colored to designate the individualscoring sections. The rim and ribs of the target piece are thin incrosssection to permit a ball to be rolled thereover.

It is also possible to vary the size of the target sections, and toeither increase or decrease the number of sections of the target.However, it is preferable that a quadrant be used, with each playerhaving two balls each.

FIGURE 3 shows the balls which are used with the target piece or targetring. The balls are preferably made of sponge rubber or similarsubstance so that they can readily roll along the surface and over theperipheral rim 22 and ribs of the ring shaped target.

Operation The game is played by either two or four players, with eachplayer entitled to roll two balls apiece each. All of the balls are of adifferent color, each ball having a color corresponding with one colorof the target sections of the target ring.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the first player such as player 14 rolls his balltoward the target ring in an attempt to get the ball into the ring andpreferably within the quadrant having the same color as that ball. Afterthe first player has rolled the ball, the second player 16 as shown inFIGURE 1 rolls the ball 18 toward the target 12 with the object to getthe ball into the target and preferably into the quadrant having thesame color as his ball.

The second player .14 then rolls his second ball toward the coloredquadrant corresponding to the color ball thrown. The second player 16then rolls his ball toward the target ring.

Points are scored for any ball which is rolled within the peripheral rim22 of the target, while additional or bonus points are scored for thoseballs that are rolled into the scoring quadrant having the same color asthe ball.

The points scored by the players are counted after the second player hasrolled his second ball, and the players then walk to the target 12, pickup their respective balls, and repeat the same procedure by rolling theballs back toward the target 10.

The distance betwen the targets or target rings can be varied dependingupon the capabilities of the players, with the distance between targetsbeing varied between 10 to 30 feet.

A player rolling his ball within the targets scores points, with anadditional 5 bonus points being scored for a ball which is rolled into aquadrant having the same color. The player scoring the first hundredpoints is the winner.

The game can also be played with four players, with the same procedure,except that two opponents stand at each target, the two teammates beingat opposite targets having the same colored balls.

The balls are hand size, and the targets are approximately 3 feet indiameter. The target is preferably made of light, rigid, plasticmaterial, with the upper surface of the target rim and the ribs beingpainted to define the colored open scoring quadrants.

It can thus be seen from the foregoing description that a novel type oflawn game for people of all age groups is provided, by this invention.The game rules are simple and easily understood, and the use of simplerigid targets enables the game to be manufactured and sold at arelatively low price.

While the invention has been described in connection with differentembodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of furthermodification, and this application is intended to cover any variations,uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, theprinciples of the invention and including such departures from thepresent disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the artto which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the essentialfeatures hereinbefore set forth and fall within the scope of theinvention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A lawn bowling game, comprising:

(a) a large, flat, portable, non-collapsible, rigid member, target piecewhich can be placed on a fiat surface and which has a plurality of openequal-size scoring sections;

(b) said scoring sections being defined by an outer peripheral rim and aplurality of ribs which extend radially outward from a central hub tojoin said peripheral rim to form a plurality of substantially pie-shapedscoring sections;

(c) said scoring sections being distinquished from each other by adifferent color on the portion of the rim enclosing a given scoringsection;

. (d) said peripheral rim and said radially extending ribs beingrelatively wide in horizontal section, and thin in vertical section;

(e) a plurality of hand-size balls which are substantially smaller insize than the scoring sections; and

(f) at least two of said balls each having a color which matches one ofthe colors identifying respectively one of the scoring sections wherebya point bonus is received by rolling a ball into the scoring sectionhaving the matching color.

2. The lawn bowling game as set forth in claim 1,

wherein:

(a) said target piece is made of plastic material and is a one-pieceunit.

3. The lawn bowling game as set forth in claim 1,

wherein:

(a) said ribs divide said target piece into four quadrants; and

(b) there are four balls, one colored to match each of said quadrants.

4. The lawn bowling game at set forth in claim 1,

wherein:

(a) each scoring section of said target is distinquished from the otherscoring sections by the color of its peripheral rib portion and also thecolor on one of the adjacent ribs.

5. The lawn bowling game as set forth in claim 1,

wherein:

(a) said balls are made of resilient material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 445,016 1/1891 Greene 273-126579,198 3/1897 Vick 273-123 884,277 4/1908 Hughes 273-127 2,366,7821/1945 Gorsuch 273-427 3,190,657 6/1965 Johnson 273- ANTON o. OECHSLE,Primary Examiner.

T. ZACK, Assistant Examiner.

